TRULY AMAZING COLLECTION OF FAMILY ARCHIVE MATERIAL WITH SS INTEREST. APPROXIMATELY 560 PHOTOGRAPHS. IN MAY 1945 A SOLDIER OF THE 7TH ROYAL TANK REGIMENT WHILE ON ACTIVE DUTY IN NIEUKERK WAS SENT TO COMMANDEER PROPERTY FOR BILLETS. IN A ROOM FILLED WITH FURNITURE WHICH HE CLEARED OUT HE FOUND THE FIVE ALBUMS.

WITH PHOTOGRAPHS, INSIGNIA A SOME PAPERWORK THROUGHOUT. PUT TOGETHER BY ONE OF THE FAMILY IN FIVE ALBUMS. UNKNOWN HOW THEY ENDED UP STORED AWAY AND FORGOTTEN, POSSIBLY NO MEMBER OF THE KOST FAMILY SURVIVED THE WAR. THE SOLDIER WHO FOUND THE SET DID SOME FOLLOW UP RESEARCH AFTER THE WAR. HE COMPILED VOLUME ONE -A- INCLUDING RESEARCH MAPS, IMAGES OF THE KOST HOUSE FROM THE ARCHIVE, AND THEN THE PROPERTY IN THE 1980′s, AND THEN AND NOW IMAGES OF THE BILLETS WHERE THE ITEMS WERE FOUND. THE FIRST FAMILY ALBUM, A, IS OF OBLT KOST OF THE 5TH HUSSARS IN WW1. MANY EXCELLENT WW1 IMAGES OF SENIOR OFFICERS, ARTILLERY PIECES, GROUPS, KOST HIMSELF, CAPTURED FRENCH COLONIAL TROOPS.

VOLUME TWO COVERS 1930 – 34. INCLUDES SEVERAL LETTERS SENT FROM A FAMILY FRIEND IN WILTSHIRE.

VOLUME THREE COVERS 1934-36. KOST JUNIOR IN THE SS. LARGE UNPUBLISHED IMAGE OF HIMMLER SMILING TO THE CAMERA. GROUP SS IMAGES, OTHER SENIOR SS OFFICERS. SOME OF THE IMAGES SNAP SHOT SIZE, OTHERS FULL PAGE. TRAINING, TRAINING WITH AN MG13 IN AA ROLE, SOME GREAT IMAGES.

VOLUME FOUR HAS SERVICE BADGES INSIDE THE COVER AND FIRST PAGE. THE COVER NOW DETACHED. INCLUDES THE SS MAN KOSTS SS-2 COLLAR TAB. THIS HAS BEEN CAREFULLY REMOVED FROM THE ALBUM WITHOUT DAMAGE. IN EXCELLENT CONDITION, A VERY RARE TAB WORTH £1500 ON ITS OWN. IT APPEARS ANOTHER FAMILY MEMBER, POSSIBLY BROTHER WAS IN THE FIELD POLICE. HIS SLEEVE EAGLE AND COLLAR TABS PRESERVED HERE. SOME VERY GOOD GROUP IMAGES IN THIS ALBUM, TAKING THE OATH, MILITARY VEHICLES, ETC.

ALBUM FIVE 1939-40 WITH MANY IMAGES RELATING TO DUNKIRK INCLUDING A FIELD MAP OF THE 6TH PANZER DIVISION BASED AT DUNKIRK.

ROOM FOR MUCH RESEARCH WHICH WOULD BE GREATLY AIDED BY SOME TRANSLATION OF THE CAPTIONS. WITH A QUICK SEARCH WE FOUND HANS KOST WAS KILLED IN ACTION, A COPY OF THE PRINT OUT INCLUDED. A ONE OFF SET WITH SOME VERY IMPRESSIVE SS RELATED IMAGES AND INSIGNIA.